Forecasting Severe Weather for The Capital Weather Gang

Dr. Jeffrey Halverson, University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) Department of Geography and Environmental Studies

Prediction of severe local storms is challenging and impacts the activities and preparedness of many people in the Washington-Baltimore region. The forecast process I use for the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang involves a blend of diagnostic models and mesoscale observations, channeled primarily through CWG's blog and other social media. In this talk, I present a number of case study challenges from the Mid Atlantic's diverse and active severe weather season of 2014. I conclude with a look at several research directions I believe are crucial to the success of future prediction of severe weather events in our region, most notably derechos.